The Hallmark Channel will yet again air an original holiday movie tonight for the whole family to watch. It really is a great way to spend a Saturday night; snuggled up in your favorite chair watching a quality movie. Our First Christmas is just that movie!
It stars Dixie Carter, who is most famous for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women. I loved Designing Women and she was one of my favorite characters. I will admit I also like her because she is from Tennessee. Carter is definitely one of the most famous Southern actresses to grace the TV screen.
Our First Christmas seems like a lighthearted and fun Christmas movie. From the Hallmark Channel’s press release,
Santa may need to trade in his red and white suit for a black and white referee uniform when pair of newlyweds finds themselves unable to keep their children from previous marriages from arguing their way through the holidays in “Our First Christmas,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie premiering Saturday, December 20 (9/8c). Emmy® nominee Dixie Carter (“Family Law”), two-time Emmy® nominee John Ratzenberger (“Cheers,” “WALL-E”), Steven Eckholdt (“Secret Santa”) and Julie Warner (“Tommy Boy”) star in the holiday tale that looks at what happens when the season of giving finds no one wanting to give an inch. Cindy (Julie Warne) and Tom (Eckholdt) Baer-Neil have been married for nearly a year, each having lost their first spouse. With the holidays just around the corner, Cindy and Tom are determined to make the new family’s first Christmas perfect. But Cindy’s daughter, Tory, is looking forward to the annual tradition of going skiing with her Gramma Evie (Carter), their late father’s mother, and Tom’s kids, Jacob and Lily are set on being in the annual pageant directed by Grandpa Joe (Ratzenberger), the father of the mom they lost. The two traditions conflict, and there’s no way everyone can do both. Something’s got to give for there to be a compromise. The Baer-Neil kids, however, only want to take part in the traditions they’ve gotten used to and don’t have any interest in bonding with their new siblings. Tory talks to Jacob and Lily, and together they come up with a plan: They will all refuse to compromise, and if they can’t do their own separate things for the holidays, Christmas will be canceled altogether. Little do they realize, as they execute their plan, they are becoming closer to one another, and by the time Cindy and Tom give in, their kids don’t want to split up anymore. Meanwhile, Joe and Evie have no interest in splitting up the family either. In fact, they very much want the opposite. Now it seems like Christmas is ruined. Ultimately, everyone will have to realize that giving up old traditions doesn’t mean forgetting what they represented, and maybe having a new family calls for starting new traditions.
The other stars of Our First Christmas are John Ratzenberger, who will forever be remembered as Cliff from Cheers, Julie Warner (most recently starred in Nip/Tuck) and Steven Eckholdt who played Mark Robinson, who Ross ends up hating on Friends.
If you’re looking for a good Christmas or holiday movie to watch, tune in to Our First Christmas this Saturday night, December 20, 2008, at 9:00 pm EST. Get your bowl of popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy Our First Christmas.
Go to hallmarkchannel.com and see exclusive behind the scenes videos, a calendar for additional show times and much more. And don’t forget to let us know what you thought of Our First Christmas.
This was a wonderfully, refreshing Christmas story. Very appropriate for the reality of todays blended families. Speaking of reality…. I loved the cast and fact they selected a "real" down to earth mother figure (literally) instead of a stick-thin model/actress! Superb! I’m hoping for a sequel because it would be great to see a new addition to the family as well as Christmas wedding for the grandparents!
Two thumbs up! I can hardly wait to see it again this year. Great family entertainment. Great cast of characters. I could literally watch it over and over and never grow tired. I would love the dvd if it is available.
We saw it on tv the other night and we absolutely loved it, especially the ending with the real reason for Christmas is Jesus. It is so refreshing to get this side of the Holiday, and not always about Santa… Thank you for this great movie, and we would love to buy it and put it in our movie library… if it is possible..???
I have just watched this film on tv in the UK. This is a great film and would love to buy the dvd if it is available. Sometimes its hard getting hold of US tv films in the UK. Can anyone tell me if this film is ever going to be released on dvd.
Please keep me posted if you put it on DVD